Construction of the new elementary school in Glenmerry remains on schedule, says Katherine Shearer, school district superintendent.
However, she cautions the job site is susceptible to supply chain and labour shortages, like the rest of B.C., which could impact the overall time frame.
The build is on budget, she said, and slated to open next year.
The province is investing as much as $39.1 million to replace and upgrade Glenmerry Elementary School.
The new school will increase capacity with an additional 165 seats, bringing the total from 270 to 435 to align with growing enrolment demand.
Students remain in the existing school and portables during construction, with the new school expected to be ready for class in the spring of 2024.
The old school was built in 1959, and originally intended for children living in Glenmerry. After the shuttering of the elementary school in Sunningdale (1997) and then in East Trail ( Laura J. Morrish, 1999) Glenmerry has been the only Kindergarten-to Grade 7 public school in Trail. (Note: when Central School closed in 2000, those pupils were transferred to the elementary school in Warfield.)
To accommodate a growing school body the school district has installed six portables at Glenmerry over the years.
Despite several renovations, there’s been ongoing maintenance issues typical of a structure well-used for 64 years. When the school population grew to 370 in 2018, ongoing concerns escalated over parents and buses dropping off and picking up their children at the same time, lack of space and ever increasing traffic congestion.
In March 2018, Glenmerry PAC became a strong and united voice for a new school alongside advocates such as Trail city council, board trustees and district administration.
Three years later, in March 2021, came the provincial announcement that Glenmerry Elementary School would be replaced with a safe new build.
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